Deborah L. Wince-Smith is the president of the Council on Competitiveness - a premiere group of CEOs, university presidents and labor leaders committed to driving U.S. competitiveness.  Since her appointment as President in 2001, she has spearheaded a national campaign that made innovation a top-tier national policy issue.  Deborah is recognized in the global business community as a “go to” person for strategic counsel, as exemplified by her appointment to the Board of Directors of the NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. and the NASDAQ Stock Exchange.

As president of the Council on Competitiveness, Deborah’s expertise in technology policy, economic development and global competition is frequently sought after by government, industry and news media.  She was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as a member of the Oversight Board of the Internal Revenue Service.  She is also a member of the U.S. Department of State’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy.

Her eclectic knowledge and prescient foresight have been called on by three presidents. She has more than 20 years of experience as a senior U.S. government official, including as Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy in the Department of Commerce during the George H.W. Bush administration.  Following her government tenure, Wince-Smith became active in governance of various national scientific laboratories and provided strategic counsel to several FORTUNE 100 companies.

Since becoming president of the Council on Competitiveness, Deborah has helped recharge the national debate on competitiveness, innovation and resilience. 

Wince-Smith earned a degree in classical archaeology and graduated Magna cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College.  She earned her master’s degree from King’s College, Cambridge University.  In December 2006 she received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Michigan State University.